Young Pioneer Tours
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Welcome to the Young Pioneer Tours Blog, the place where we we keep you informed about everything YPT, from current tours, to future tours and a whole lot of eclectic stuff in between.
YPT first started blogging in 2008 and are considered the best North Korean Travel blog that there is.
But, as Young Pioneer Tours have expanded our locations, so have we expanded our blog. Now we have one of the best travel blogs in the world!
And while most of our content is about the numerous destinations we go, including travel guides and what to pack, we also delve into more serious subjects such as the safety of certain destinations, as well as how LGTBQ+ friendly the places we visit are.
While the vast majority of our content is produced in-house, we are always on the look-out for guest bloggers and writers. Want to write for us? Then simply get in touch.
You can also check out our sister publication YPT Life.
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The People’s Rooney — Jong Tae Se
18 April 2019 / by Gareth Johnson
If you want to get into the very geeky territory of the best North Korean footballer ever, you’d be hard pressed to argue against Mr Pak Doo-Ick, who famously scored the goal that knocked out Italy in the 1966 World Cup. But if you’re talking about the …
What is Chongryon?
18 April 2019 / by Gareth Johnson
Fun fact, kids! The best North Korean footballer (arguably) is a chap called Jong Tae Se. AKA The People’s Rooney, he was not actually born in North Korea and essentially holds 3 de facto nationalities: Japanese, North Korean, and South Korean. So …
Do you want to study in North Korea?
18 April 2019 / by Gareth Johnson
In 2012 Young Pioneer Tours offered our first study programme in North Korea – our Juche Study. This initial trip was quite groundbreaking: it did not only focus on Juche, the state ideology of North Korea, but was also a de facto language study tour. …
Exploring the Korean dialects
18 April 2019 / by Gareth Johnson
Are there Korean dialects? One of the questions we most commonly get asked on tour is if North and South Korea speak the same language. The quick and simple answer is of course yes, but after 70-plus years as a divided nation there are indeed a few cav …
Fallen Heir: Mao Anying
18 April 2019 / by Gareth Johnson
Who was Mao Anying? Mao Anying was the eldest son of Mao Zedong (sometimes spelled Mao Tse-tung) the leader of the People’s Republic of China from its inception in 1949 and chairman of the Communist Party of China from 1935. Mao’s family life could – a …
Pakistan unveils visa-on-arrival policy for 5 countries, e-visas for 175 more
17 April 2019 / by Gareth Johnson
In a move widely seen as a move towards facilitating foreign tourism to the country, Pakistan has recently begun a visa-on-arrival policy to 5 preferred countries. Initially, visas on arrival are available to nationals of the United Kingdom, Turkey, Ch …
Golden Lane Bowling Alley (Pyongyang)
17 April 2019 / by Gareth Johnson
North Korea might be famous for its lack of internet, but for those of us old enough to remember there was actually a pre-internet time when people went out and, well, socialized. In North Korea bowling is a thing, and the Golden Lane Bowling Alley is …
What is the Belarus Exclusion Zone?
17 April 2019 / by Joel Vostok
Chernobyl, most infamously known for the catastrophic nuclear disaster that almost wiped out Europe, occurred in Northern Ukraine and it’s most associated with the nearby town of Pripyat, which was built for power plant workers and their families but e …
North Korean Beers – Taedonggang
17 April 2019 / by Gareth Johnson
Taedonggang beer? Can you drink in North Korea? Can North Koreans drink? These are just some of the questions we veterans of the DPRK get asked on a regular basis. Let’s get to some North Korea myth-busting: here’s our guide to the beer of Pyongyang an …
